CONTENTS
TABLE OF
4 Let ' s Pass the Baton
6 Letter from the CEO
8 The Policy Landscape
12 Tracking Cattle Health Threats
20 Positive Progress: Endangered Species and Predator Wins
22 2026 ESAP Regional Winners
24 Cattle Drive American Success
28 The Federation is Rooted in Research
29 State of the Federation
31 |
Today’ s Beef Consumer |
36 |
A Region-by-Region Look at Winter 2026-2027 |
38 |
Turning of the Cycle |
42 |
Directions Statistics |
N A T I O N A L
CATTLEMEN
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF NCBA
2026 NCBA Leadership: |
President |
Gene Copenhaver |
President-Elect |
Kim Brackett |
Vice President |
Skye Krebs |
Treasurer |
Brad Hastings |
Federation Division Chair |
Travis Maddock |
Federation Division Vice Chair |
Dan Hanrahan |
Policy Division Chair |
Kenny Rogers |
Policy Division Vice Chair |
Scott Anderson |
Immediate Past President |
Buck Wehrbein |
Chief Executive Officer |
Colin Woodall |
Senior Editors
Editor Contributing Writers
DIRECTIONS 2026
John Robinson
Jill Johnson Sarah Gregory Wendy White Sarah Trujillo
Steve Johnson
Creative Director Dancinee Jennings
Graphic Designer
Mirko Erspamer For ad sales contact Jason Jerome 303-850-3313, Lindsay Clark 303-850-3339 or Austen McCue 303-850- 3346.
Contact NCBA: 8900 Liberty Circle, Suite 400, Englewood, CO 80112( 303-694-0305); Washington D. C.: 1275 Pennsylvania Ave. N. W., Suite 801, Washington, D. C. 20004( 202-347-0228). National Cattlemen’ s Beef Association reserves the right to refuse advertising in any of its publications. National Cattlemen’ s Beef Association does not accept political advertising in any of its publications. National Cattlemen’ s Beef Association does not accept any advertising promoting third-party lawsuits that have not been endorsed by the board of directors. © 2026 National Cattlemen’ s Beef Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or part, without the prior written consent of the National Cattlemen’ s Beef Association.
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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN 1